Останній з Могікан

           Sagamore,youwilltakethehillside,totheright;Uncaswillbendalongthebrooktotheleft,whileIwilltrythetrail.Ifanythingshouldhappen,thecallwillbethreecroaksofacrow.Isawoneofthebirdsfanninghimselfintheair,justbeyondthedeadoak—anothersignthatwearetouchinganencampment."

           TheIndiansdepartedtheirseveralwayswithoutreply,whileHawkeyecautiouslyproceededwiththetwogentlemen.Heywardsoonpressedtothesideoftheirguide,eagertocatchanearlyglimpseofthoseenemieshehadpursuedwithsomuchtoilandanxiety.Hiscompaniontoldhimtostealtotheedgeofthewood,which,asusual,wasfringedwithathicket,andwaithiscoming,forhewishedtoexaminecertainsuspicioussignsalittleononeside.Duncanobeyed,andsoonfoundhimselfinasituationtocommandaviewwhichhefoundasextraordinaryasitwasnovel.

           Thetreesofmanyacreshadbeenfelled,andtheglowofamildsummer’seveninghadfallenontheclearing,inbeautifulcontrasttothegraylightoftheforest.AshortdistancefromtheplacewhereDuncanstood,thestreamhadseeminglyexpandedintoalittlelake,coveringmostofthelowland,frommountaintomountain.Thewaterfelloutofthiswidebasin,inacataractsoregularandgentle,thatitappearedrathertobetheworkofhumanhands,thanfashionedbynature.Ahundredearthendwellingsstoodonthemarginofthelake,andeveninitswater,asthoughthelatterhadoverfloweditsusualbanks.